Lacustrine basin unconventional resource plays: Key differences

There has been a revival in hydrocarbon source rock characterization and development associated with growing interest in unconventional resources, where these fine-grained organic-rich rocks act as both source and reservoir. To-date, the exploration focus on shale reservoirs has been largely on marine systems. Lacustrine source rocks for conventional resources are geographically important, dominating regions such as China, Indonesia, and Brazil's resource-base. However, they have been generally untested for unconventional resources.There are a number of key differences in the nature of these hydrocarbon systems that should be considered when assessing whether lacustrine systems may represent future unconventional opportunities in areas where the conventional resource-base is dominated by lacustrine-sourced oil. Among the key differences between these depositional systems is the greater sensitivity to high frequency climatic variability within lacustrine systems. Lacustrine systems are highly sensitive to changes in the balance between precipitation and evaporation, which may lead to rapid changes in lake level, potentially exceeding 600 m. These changes in depositional conditions are geologically rapid and may occur over periods of thousands of years. Such changes can reduce the areal extent of potentially thick source rock intervals to only those portions of a basin where a permanent deep lake was present. Thus the core unconventional target area may be geographically limited compared with their marine counterpart. Although potentially areally limited, a review of many lacustrine source rocks suggests that their thicknesses are often significantly greater than marine source rocks. An examination of the more distal portions of lacustrine systems, where better source rock potential is present reveals that there is generally limited connectivity between source and conventional reservoir. In these settings, such as the Wind River basin (Waltman Shale), the hydrocarbons remain trapped within the shales, potentially leading to over-pressured hydrocarbon charged systems. Such conditions suggest that although areally limited, viable unconventional targets may exist, if suitable reservoir conditions are present. Finally, the character of the oils produced is different in these settings, with lacustrine oils being waxy and displaying different hydrocarbon generation and cracking kinetics. High wax oils display distinct flow characteristics, being more viscous, and may offer different production challenges than their non-waxy marine equivalents. Additionally, differences in their cracking kinetics may indicate that the timing of gas generation for shale gas plays may differ significantly from marine systems.     

Properties and shale oil potential of saline lacustrine shales in the Qianjiang Depression,Jianghan Basin,China

The geochemical and petrographic characteristics of saline lacustrine shales from the Qianjiang Formation, Jianghan Basin were investigated by organic geochemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and low pressure nitrogen adsorption analysis. The results indicate that: the saline lacustrine shales of Eq3 member with high oil content are characterized by type I and type II oil-prone kerogen, variable TOC contents (1.0–10.0 wt%) and an early-maturity stage (R_o ranges between 0.41 and 0.76%). The mineral compositions of Eq3 saline shale show strong heterogeneity: brittle intervals with high contents of quartz and carbonate are frequently alternated with ductile intervals with high glauberite and clay contents. This combination might be beneficial for oil accumulation, but may cause significant challenges for the hydraulic stimulation strategy and long-term production of shale oil. The interparticle pores and intraparticle pores dominate the pore system of Eq3 shale, and organic matter hosted pores are absent. Widely distributed fractures, especially tectonic fractures, might play a key role in hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. The pore network is contributed to by both large size inorganic pores and abundant micro-factures, leading to a relatively high porosity (2.8–30.6%) and permeability (0.045–6.27 md) within the saline shale reservoir, which could enhance the flow ability and storage capacity of oil. The oil content (S₁ × 100/TOC, mg HC/g TOC and S₁, mg HC/g rock) and brittleness data demonstrate that the Eq3^3x section has both great potential for being a producible oil resource and hydraulic fracturing. Considering the hydrocarbon generation efficiency and properties of oil, the mature shale of Eq3 in the subsidence center of the Qianjiang Depression would be the most favorable zone for shale oil exploitation.